Study Abroad with your Pet: Documents and Rules

Reviewed By Tom •  Updated: 12/22/21 •  4 min read
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Study Abroad with your Pet: Documents and Rules

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Studying in a new country can be rather lonely in the beginning. Bringing your best furry friend along is the best way to have a piece of home with you. When you have decided to bring your pet along, there are a few things you should keep in mind before traveling.

Each country might have a few different rules about allowing your pet to safely enter, such as travel document translation, so pay attention when planning your trip. To make sure that you are traveling safely and without breaking any rules, here are some essential steps to follow.

1. What Kind of a Pet Are You Traveling With?

When it comes to Europe, the member countries only accept a few pets through international travels. These include dogs, cats, and ferrets. The one condition is for this trip to be for non-commercial purposes, so this should be no problem in your case.

You might be required to have a hand-written declaration as to the owner that this trip is non-commercial. It is good to remember that each country has different laws when it comes to the pet that will accompany you.

If you’re traveling outside the EU, it might be better to search for individual laws about pet travels and which animals are accepted. Likewise, if you’re a student traveling with your pet, take your college assignments into account as well. If you think about top college essay writing services to help with paper works before heading out, do so before you’re abroad so that you can pass your assignments successfully. Carefully check each country’s pet regulations before heading abroad.

2. Which Documents Will You Need for Your Pet?

The very first thing every country will ask of you is a pet passport. This is necessary for most countries around the world and especially for European countries. You will easily be able to obtain this for your pet if you ask your vet to provide you with one.

There are a few things your veterinarian will ask of you before giving you this paper though. You will need to make sure that your pet has a physical exam to make sure it is healthy and caught up with its vaccinations. You will also be required to verify your pet’s identity through their health certificate.

The health certificate is a document that will display information such as their microchip code, their vaccination dates, and other important data. These are crucial when it comes to identifying your dog as yours and also ready to travel to any country.

3. Mandatory Vaccines and Tests for Your Pet

Most countries require your pet to have certain vaccines done to ensure they can travel safely. This is something that ensures the safety of your pet and the other passengers that travel with you. The most commonly asked for vaccine is the one against rabies.

The most important thing is for your pet to be at least 12 weeks old at the date of its vaccination. After 21 days have passed since the vaccine has been administered, your fur baby is safe and able to travel with you.

Along with that, some countries may require a rabies antibody test performed at least 30 days before their rabies vaccination. From the moment the blood was collected, you must wait 3 months to be able to travel. You must keep this in mind and plan that vet trip on time before your trip. Use the best online certified translation services to translate your pet’s documents before traveling. This will make sure they’re not stopped at the borders and can travel abroad the same as every other pet.

Lastly, certain countries might also require that you treat your dog for Echinococcus multilocularis, or otherwise known as the tapeworm. Dogs frequently get infected with these types of tapeworms and they need to be given a pill 1-5 days before traveling. This only applies to certain countries though, so make sure to ask your vet for advice.

Going on an International Adventure with Your Furry Friend

While the previously mentioned points might seem like a lot of work, especially while planning a big trip, they can easily be handled. In most cases, your vet should be able to also offer you some much-needed advice about planning your international trip with your pet. Make sure you have considered all that can help you save a lot of money and effort after arriving at your destination.

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Tom

Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!